Chennai: In a major embarrassment for the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, the appointment of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s personal astrologer, Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, as Officer on Special Duty (OSD-Political) to the CM, was revoked on Wednesday, soon after the government won the trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
The decision followed intense criticism from opposition parties, social media users and even allies within the ruling coalition, who questioned the rationale behind appointing an astrologer to an official government position funded by taxpayers’ money.
Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel had been appointed as OSD-Political through an official government order issued on Tuesday.
Known to be a close confidant of Vijay, he had played an active role in the TVK campaign during the Assembly elections and also served as one of the party’s spokespersons.
He had earlier attracted attention by predicting a “tsunami victory” for Vijay ahead of the election results.
The controversy erupted inside the Tamil Nadu Assembly during discussions preceding the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Vijay. Several legislators openly criticised the appointment, placing the government under pressure within hours of taking office.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MLA Vanni Arasu said the government should uphold scientific thinking rather than promote astrology and superstition.
DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth also criticised the decision, stating that if Rickey Radhan Pandit was merely a personal adviser to the Chief Minister, he could have continued in a private role instead of being granted an official government designation.
She further questioned the message such an appointment would send to youngsters and educated sections of society.
The controversy quickly spilled outside the Assembly as well. Congress MP and former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil criticised the appointment on social media, asking why an astrologer required an OSD position.
CPI(M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam and CPI leader M. Veerapandian also condemned the move, arguing that it went against constitutional values, secular governance and scientific temper.
Rickey Radhan Pandit’s official website claims that he had close links with former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and had advised the AIADMK leadership on numerology, electoral strategy, legal matters and political decisions during crucial phases of her political career.
Facing mounting criticism from multiple quarters, the TVK government finally withdrew the appointment order on Wednesday.
(IANS)
